Safe and Sound
by Emma Panda
Summary: You know The Hunger Games, right? Of course you do. The only problem is that they're all lies. It's not the most accurate source of information. Sure, it was a good story, but Katniss only wrote it to make herself look good. She didn't win. She was never the Mockingjay. I won, and I was the rebellion leader. Who am I? I'm Clove, and this is my story. (On hiatus)
1. 1

**So, I was browsing fanfiction one day, and I said, "Hey, we really don't know much about Clove. There's not as many stories about her." So then I said, "Why don't I make one?" And then this happened.**

I run into my room, feeling full and happy. I just finished talking to Cato and he said he and Christina would volunteer this year.  
Christina is my 18 year old sister, and she is a full-fledged career-unlike little 14 year old me.  
Christina and I are complete oposites. She was tall and strongly built and I am relatively scrawny. Her hair is red and curly. My hair is black and straight. Her eyes are green flecked with gold. Mine are brown-black. Her skin is creamy and smooth while I am pale and dotted with looks terrific in any type of clothing. I do not. She has all the friends. I do not. I only have my best friend Cecelia, but everybody calls her Seal.  
The weird thing about me is that I just don't feel... right being a Career. Every time I throw a knife straight in a plastic dummy's eye I feel a twinge of guilt, like it's wrong to murder. Christina, Cato, and Seal always call me crazy.  
The only difference between Seal and Cato is that Seal is a bit shorter and has longer hair. Other than that they're identical. They both have blond hair (Cato's is clipped short and Seal's is long), piercing blue eyes (Although sometimes Seal's look a bit greenish) and are made of muscle. If you see them you would think they're twins, even though Cato is eighteen like Christina and Seal is fourteen like me.  
"Clove, put you dress on for the reaping!" my mother calls.  
_Oh, yeah, _I think, _the reaping is today. _  
I reach into my closet and pull out a dress; short, sunset-colored, with white flats and a white shrug to match.  
I put it on and braid my long hair down my back. There. I'm done.  
Hearing my phone buzz in my backpack in the corner of my room, I go to pick it up. A email from Glimmer, my District 1 pen pal.  
District 2 lives most like the people in the 21st century, even though its been 200 years since Justin Beiber and Pippa Middleton and all those people. Really, the only difference is the better healthcare and the lack of deadly illnesses like cancer and AIDS.  
I look at the email carefully.  
_Hey, Clovsie! I just wanted to let you know that I'm gonna volunteer for the HG! WOOT WOOT!_  
God I hate her.  
Then I feel my phone buzz in my hand again and I see that Salami-the local bully-sent me a text.  
_Hey, Clovsie. I know this is waaaaaayyy to nice for me to say, but if you get reaped, try not to die, okay?_  
A tear slides down my cheek as I remember how her sister Lizzie was viciously murdered by someone from District 6.  
Salami and I have an interesting relationship. I make fun of her for being named after lunch meat and she makes fun of me for... well, anything really.  
But the weird thing is, she has a heart, unlike anybody else I've ever known.  
She lives in my neighborhood and is not a career like Seal, Christina, Cato, or anybody else that acknowledges my presence. Seal is my best friend, but when I need sympathy, I always go to Salami, or as she likes to be called, Sal.  
_2 hours later..._  
I stand in the fourteen year old zone, waiting for Liza Truun to draw a name from the large glass bowl on the stage.  
She lowers her green hand with black fingernails into the bowl and fishes around in it for a while. Then I see her yank out a yellow sliver of paper and open it wide.  
She steps up to the microphone. My heart beats with anticipation as she says the two words that will change my life forever.  
"Salami Onrye!"  
**So... that was the first chapter! Lol my uncle made up the last name... review if you get the joke! R+R anyway, even if you don't get the joke... **  
**kkbye**


	2. 2

Sal.  
Sal's name got picked.  
Why her, of all people?  
"Any volunteers?" Liza Truun calls.  
I wait anxously for Christina to speak up, but she isn't.  
Where _is _she? I look anxously toward the eighteen year old section and don't see her anywhere. Instead I only see a concerned looking Cato. He's worried about her, too.  
I start freaking out. Where is she?  
Obviously Liza is surprised too. "Any volunteers?" she calls again.  
Then I realize what has to be done.  
I can't let Sal die. She has something to live for. Whereas I don't my only life's goal is to get out of Career training.  
This... this... sacrifice. Did I really want this? Did I want to die?  
No, but I would rather die than Sal.  
"Okay, then Iguess we'll move onto the bo-"  
"I volunteer as tribute!"  
Everybody stares at me, short and scrawny, timid and scared. I wasn't even a full Career yet. I am fourteen, the only damage I can do is from a distace with knives.  
The whole plaza is silent, execpt I hear Cato whisper, "Clove, no..."  
Liza looks happy. "Alrighty, then, darling!" she chimes, "Come on up!"  
I quiver up on stage. I'm scared. Very scared. I'm going to get killed, I just know it. Possibly by Glimmer... _Ugh. _I decide I will _not _let that happen.  
Liza dips her hand into the boys' bowl and pulls out a name, but I don't pay attention to who because I'm too focused on Sal's face back in the crowd. Her expression is unreadable. I's a mixture of scare, disbelief, and gratefullness.  
The next thing I know, Liza and her crazy green skin is leading me away. I look over and see my fellow tribute is Cato. He must have volunteered. Peacekeepers lead me into a room in the Justice hall and I sat down.  
Immediately Sal walks in. There are tears in her eyes as she hugs me. "Clove..." she murmurs. "Clove, you didn't have to do this..." She runs and hugs me, and I cry into her shoulder.  
"I'll come back for you, Sal, I'll come back..."  
We separate and Sal sits down. "Clove, why did you do this for me?"  
She had a point, why did I?  
Because she would be dead in ten seconds flat? Because she can't fight? I hate doing it, but I can fight and I can even kill, when I have to. Sal can't. She beat people up with words, not with muscles.  
"Because, Sal, as much as I don't want to admit it, you are my best friend." Seal isn't or else she would be here by now, I thought.  
"Miss Onrye, It's time to go." Says a Peacekeeper.  
She shoves something into my palm. "Clove, take this..."  
I look down and see a swirly purple ring. It rings a bell and I realize it's a ring that was passed down Sal's family for years. But there's only one way to be sure.  
I twist the stone off and a two-inch-long spike pops out. On it is a red goo. Poison. I twist the large stone back into its silver setting just as the peacekeepers come in.  
"Clove Celadon, please step onto the train cart." Says a peacekeeper, and I reluctantly obey.

**So how was it? **

**I honestly don't care about this story. I'm only writing it to get publicity for my OTHER fanfictions-mostly The Only Exception-which, btw, is a Kids React fanfic. So if you like Kids React, go check it out!  
**


	3. 3

Immediately Cato jogs over to me.

"Clove, what was that? Where's Christina? Who was that girl? Why did you-"

I cut him off. "Cato... Cato, I'm going to die."

Cato realizes what's really going to happen. "Clove... Clove, don't leave me. Please."

He sounds desperate.

"Cato... I don't want to leave you either."

"But one of us has to die."

We are both silent for the rest of the train ride.

* * *

I wake up to Cato kneeling on my bed, shaking me.

"Clove!" he says. "Clove, get up!"

He is already dressed and ready. Figures. He was always an early riser.

"Ugh..." I groan. "It's early..."

"Yeah, but you can see the capital!"

I immediately run to my window. Cato capital is amazing.

The buildings are high and colorful. The fashions are zany and out of this world, a thousand times worse than Liza Truun. Cato and I collapse on the ground laughing at the way they are dressed.

Collapsed on the floor rolling around and laughing.

That was how Enobaria found us a half hour later.


	4. 4

"What is going on in here?" Enobaria says.

Cato realizes what's happening before I do and his smile fades. He pulls he up off the floor with on arm as I still laugh quietly. He reaches behind me and snaps the strap of my training bra to shut me up. I wince.

"We were just..." Cato starts.

"...Laughing at a joke!" I finish.

"And what is this joke?"

I think, then remember a very innapropriate one that Christina told me.

"So, this kid walks up to his mom and says, 'Mommy, can I shower with you?' The mom says-"

"Very well, then." Enobaria says, biting into an apple and tearing it apart with her teeth. She walks away.

"So," I say, turng to Cato. "Wanna watch the reapings?"

* * *

Ten minutes later we are propped up on my bed, popcorn and sodas in out hands. Cato presses the button on the remote. The screen pops up and I see the crazily-dressed escort In District 1. She pulls from the bowl and bfore she can read the name, Glimmer's confident voice pipes up with a snooty "I, like, volunteer a tribuuuuuuuuuuuuuute!"

Cato pauses the video when it shows a close up of Glimmer's face. "Damn..." he mutters.

I know that look. Thr look of puppy love.

"Damn, Cato, you're such a pervert."

"I'm not a pervert, I'm in love."


End file.
